FLY-TIPPERS have struck at a nature reserve near the city.

Pictures shared on social media show the extent of the dumping with household items - including a mattress and furniture - left at Monkwood Nature Reserve.

Fly-tipping is the criminal act of dumping waste onto land with no licence to do so.

It can lead to a £50,000 fine or up to five years in prison.

Malvern Hills Cllr Daniel Walton, who raised the alarm, said: “This is disgusting to see and you’d have to be pretty low to dump rubbish in this way, in particular at a time like this when services are stretched and we’re trying to keep people safe.

“Because of Covid-19, the district council took the responsible steps of stopping bulk waste collection and also closing our tips.

“Bulk waste collections are now starting again, but it has only been a short period of time and they needed only to wait to clear this rubbish in the right way.

“However some people will do this kind of anti-social act no matter what’s going on in the world.

“Fly-tipping never makes sense but even less so when we’re trying to save resources.”

A spokesman for the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, which manages the site, was not available for comment.

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But information on the trust’s website said: “ We have seen unprecedented visitor pressure upon our nature reserves and car parks.

“It is clear from the numbers visiting our reserves that it is not possible to maintain social distancing and this is putting staff and public at risk.

“Where public footpaths cross our nature reserves, they remain open but please stick to these and maintain social distancing at all times.”

The charity Keep Britain Tidy has said that more that a million instances of fly-tipping were dealt with by councils each year, with an excess clear-up cost of £58million in total.

Are you plagued by the illegal dumping of waste where you live? Contact our community reporter Steven Collins with your story.